Plot: What’s it about?
David Klein (Shawn Hatosy) and Alan Hammond (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) were once very good friends, but over time, they drifted apart. Now David finds himself smitten with the gorgeous Jenny (Rachael Leigh Cook), whom he is quite close with in friendship. But as close as they’ve come to taking the next step, Jenny always hesitates and as such, the two remain just friends, even though David desires more than that. But no matter what, David holds on and hopes that someday the romance will enter their relationship. When Alan returns into David’s life however, things begin to spiral downhill and tension seems to be always present. Alan is also attracted to Jenny and much to David’s dismay, she returns the affections and before long, Alan has swept the girl off her feet and romance is in full bloom. Of course, this sparks some intense jealousy within David, but he isn’t just concerned about his ego. As the two used to be very close friends, David knows a lot about Alan, the kind of stuff you don’t tell your girlfriends about. Now the three find themselves in a triangle of sorts, in which no one knows who they can trust, which of course, creates a volatile atmosphere for all three. But when the tension finally blazes to the surface and all three wind up in the hospital, can anyone extract the truth about the situation?
As I’ve said time and time again, the cinematic world is overrun by suspense thrillers and of course, the wave of genre releases never slows. Inside the genre, a smaller subgenre has emerged and also become quite populated with releases, as the studios have become enamored with teen aimed thrillers. Not quite horror movies, these flicks try to have the same tension level as scary movies, but leave out the blood & graphic violence. You might see some guns or knives on occasion, but mostly you’ll just see overly complicated storylines that spring a surprise ending, a sort of Dawson’s Creek meets The Usual Suspects. In Tangled, we have a direct to video entry into the teen thriller realm and while it isn’t that bad, it never rises above average. I will have to say, any film that features Rachael Leigh Cook in her undies can’t be all bad, but in the end, Tangled turns out to be a decent, but unremarkable picture. As cute as Cook is here, she is unable to do much with the material, which presents a constant assault of unbelievable moments, the kind of stuff that even with suspension of disbelief, you just can’t see it happening. Tangled has some moments of solid suspense and Cook is fun to watch, but this is just another thriller that winds up on middle ground, as neither bad nor that good. So if you’re a genre buff, then give Tangled a rental, but Dimension’s disc isn’t worth a purchase.
This movie might not be that memorable, but as always, Rachael Leigh Cook leaves a lasting impression. No, this is not even close to being her finest performance, but she looks awesome and in this case, that helps the film’s cause a lot. She has a darker look than usual in Tangled, kind of like a groupie or skank almost, but don’t think she looks like a crackhead or whatever, she just lacks her usual sweet, innocent appearance. That is need here however, as she plays a darker, more sneaky kind of character. So yes, she can play bad girl roles with ease and I would love to see what she could do with a great script, as she makes good use of the material here, which stands as thin at best. Cook doesn’t have much chemistry with her male costars, but this could be traced back to the flaws with the material, I suppose. In any event, Cook looks great here and if you’re a fan of hers, you’ll want to give Tangled a glance. Other films with Cook include She’s All That, Josie and the Pussycats, Get Carter, Carpool, and The Baby-Sitters Club. The cast also includes Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (Michael Collins, Titus), Shawn Hatosy (John Q., The Postman), and Estella Warren (Planet of the Apes, Kangaroo Jack).
Video: How does it look?
Tangled is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. We’re given a clean, sharp presentation here, but the film’s low budget roots hold it back at times. This is seen via some grain in a number of scenes and a general lack of polish, which can be blamed on either the choice of stock used or the visual approach. But this never proves to distract, so aside from the quick mention, I won’t dwell on those problems. The image looks good beyond the source issues, as colors have been well replicated and contrast seems even handed throughout. So not a visual masterpiece, but Dimension has delivered a solid effort here.
Audio: How does it sound?
This movie has a few sequences which fire up the surrounds, but on the whole this is a more conservative film in terms of audio. But while you might not hear the surrounds often, the included Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track makes sure they always sound very good when you do. The tension is enhanced thanks to some nice presence, but not to the extent I had hoped for. No problems with the music or dialogue however, as those elements come across in smooth, natural fashion throughout. This disc also includes English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.
